MapleStory’s “Go West!” update is chock full of rewards, progression, and overall quality of life. For newer players, as with many other MMOs, leveling and gearing can be daunting and overwhelming. But as always MapleStory fans, I’ve got you.
First, let’s talk about what a Hyper Burn even is, as that’s typically the flagship feature of MapleStory’s bi-yearly major events. Whenever you level, you gain three levels instead of one. There are different types of burning. Hyper Burn specifically goes to level 260, which also happens to be the beginning of the 6th job advancement, which is widely considered to be the beginning of your endgame progression. If you’ve played any MMO with a jump start or accelerated feature, like recent Lost Ark or Black Desert updates, you’ll be familiar with how these things go.
A Hyper burn can only be used on a freshly made character, or an existing character that’s level 200 or higher. You will receive rewards at every level milestone that will contribute towards your endgame progression along the way, including, but not limited to:
- Endgame gear – Time-limited and relatively low-ish Star force level (enhancement), but more than enough to get you started, and lasts long enough to get permanent versions with better star forcing. This remains true all the way to level 260, where an Arcane Weapon, which is Best in Slot for a very, very long time, can be obtained.
- Arcane Symbols - A form of progression tied to level 200-259 content. Each new unlocked area on a Hyper Burn character will also reward you with a level 5 Arcane Symbol for that area, which is a few weeks’ worth of dailies and weeklies. Every symbol counts toward progression, so being able to start on a strong foot is very helpful!
- Nodestones - In tandem with the Arcane Symbol system, which is mostly plug and go, is the V Matrix How you navigate this system entirely depends on your class, but the idea is the same: You gain access to four new 5th job class skills, you can upgrade your existing relevant skills, and you get new utility skills that almost always have a use. It’s easily the most impactful system you’ll work on throughout your hyper burn and it’s important to understand it. Nodestones are the medium in which you obtain said upgrades, and you are rewarded generously this time around.
In the Blink of an Eye.
Speaking of getting rewarded, how’s about starting your new journey right at level 200? Well, Tera Blink has you covered there. This is a brand-new form of progression given only to new Hyper Burn characters, once per account. It is a method of fast tracking your way past the pleasantries that is the early game and gives you the tools to get started almost immediately.
You can enter the Tera Blink tutorial in any major city after you finish the tutorial of your class. Along the way, you’ll learn about the many mechanics and systems in MapleStory, including Starforcing, training portals, potential, bosses, job advancements, and more! I’ve always been critical about MapleStory not doing a great job at teaching us how to play, but Tera Blink does an incredibly good job at exactly that.
Gotta Level ‘em All
Lastly, if Tera Blink wasn’t enough for you, you are welcomed with two Mega Burns (1-150), a future Tera Burn (1-200), A plethora of EXP Vouchers for even more free exp, and an event called Midnight Dreamcatcher, where you can enter a special grinding area and kill 1000 mobs and earn much more exp than you could elsewhere. This is all helpful for working on your Legion and Link Skills long term.
Coupled with this is the Angelic Buster remaster event. If you create a new Angelic Buster, you gain rewards to help her, and other characters’ leveling, on top of free items to help her become a formidable main or bossing mule. This is in addition to a significant number of EXP vouchers. To give a bit more perspective, on my Kain mule, I reached level 240 by only doing dailies, weeklies, and giving it EXP vouchers. There are a ton of Hyper Burns that are already at 260 or higher, and we’re only two weeks into the event at the time of this writing.
Now is the best time to play MapleStory. If you’re someone who just loves gear progression, party progression and content, or just want to try something new and dip into what MapleStory offers, don’t wait to jump in and give it a shot!
